The $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle Gold Coin was struck by the United States Mint from 1839 through 1908. The Gold Liberty Half Eagle’s obverse was designed by Christian Gobrecht and is also known as the “Coronet head” half eagle due to the artist’s left-facing portrait of Lady Liberty in a coronet cap inscribed with “LIBERTY”. The $5 Gold Liberty Half Eagle’s reverse side features a heraldic eagle with wings outstretched, a cluster of arrows in one claw and an olive branch in the other. Also inscribed on the reverse is, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “FIVE D.”. This design was used for nearly 70 years with a small update in 1866, when a banner reading “In God We Trust” was placed on the reverse above the eagle. $5 Liberty Half Eagle Coins without the “In God We Trust” banner on the reverse side are referred to as “No Motto” coins, and the coins that were minted with the banner are known as “With Motto”. The gold Liberty Head Half Eagle coin holds the distinction of being the only coin of a single design to be minted at seven U.S. Mints: Philadelphia (no mint mark), Dahlonega (D), Charlotte (C), New Orleans (O), San Francisco (S), Carson City (CC), and Denver (D). Mint marks if present are on the reverse side just beneath the eagle. The composition of these gold half eagle coins is 90% gold and 10% copper, each coin containing approximately 0.24187 troy oz of pure gold. The coin pictured is an example of the quality of the coin you will receive, not the exact coin. The coin(s) you receive will be chosen at random from available inventory.

Pre-1933 Gold Coins are highly sought after for their historical significance as well as their beauty. In 1933 U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6102 “forbidding the hoarding of gold coin, gold bullion, and gold certificates within the continental United States.” Owning and possessing monetary gold became a crime as the order required monetary gold to be returned to a Federal Reserve Bank branch for fiat paper money. The order was issued a month after Presidential Proclamation 2039 that forbid the hoarding of gold or silver coin or bullion under penalty of fine and/or imprisonment up to ten years! Thereafter, the Gold Reserve Act of 1939 codified Roosevelt’s order and it imposed new civil penalties; many individuals were in fact prosecuted for possession of gold under these laws. As a result, vast quantities of gold coins were turned in, taken out of circulation, and melted. Today, collectors prize pre-1933 US Gold Coins for not only each coins unique design and rarity but also for its symbolism for those that retained the gold coins and rejected governmental imposed fiat money.

Jewelry Grade coins may show some wear, signs of cleaning or previous use in jewelry. This however makes jewelry grade coins one of the most affordable ways to purchase genuine pre-1933 gold.